As of today, past peak, season runs to ~October 31. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
In the empty steppe of western Turkmenistan, the earth drops away into a labyrinth of 60-to-100-metre cliffs striped in pink, coral, red, ochre and bone white.
These are the sediments of the Tethys Sea, an ancient body of water that covered the region around 5 million years ago; as it dried and the land lifted, the seabed was carved into mesas, spurs and amphitheatres whose horizontal bands record the sea's slow disappearance.
The most famous formation is the Crocodile's Mouth, a pair of horizontal rock jaws that thrust out over the canyon floor and frame the layered walls beyond.
Colours shift hour by hour and burn most intensely at sunrise and sunset, when low light rakes across the strata.
The canyon is staggeringly remote, with no settlements, shade, water or phone signal for many kilometres in any direction.
Because Turkmenistan tightly restricts independent travel, very few outsiders ever reach it, which is part of why it remains so raw and unmarked.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
|---|
| Crocodile's Mouth Viewpoint |
| Yangykala North Rim Overlooks |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.